Focus on Prevention
Foreign Material Exclusion (FME) refers to the processes, procedures, and practices used to prevent debris or contaminants from entering plant systems and components. Any material that is not part of the system as designed is considered “Foreign Material” and can create operational risks.
This concept officially started with the Aviation (FOD) and Nuclear Power industries, however, the basic concept of covering open systems during maintenance activities has long been in use by technicians and other professionals, from backyard mechanics to surgeons.
Why is FME Important?
Every year, multiple industries spend billions of dollars associated with system out of service (OOS) time, equipment maintenance and replacement, and various aspects of lost productivity caused by Foreign Material Intrusion (FMI) events. Industries such as Power Generation, Aviation, Auto, Shipping, and Construction all have significant costs associated with the negative impacts of foreign material intrusion.
If foreign material never enters a system, it cannot damage equipment, reduce efficiency, or create safety risks. So, the benefits of implementing strong FME practices consistently across large organizations are obvious. However, this can be challenging especially during outages or large projects. What steps can an organization take to improve FME behaviors and performance?
What Does a Good FME Program Look Like?
The core principle behind effective FME programs is simple: Focus On Prevention.
Alphasource employs former FME Coordinators and works closely with many current Coordinators who’ve developed very successful programs. Based on this experience we’ve identified several key characteristics that exist in places with good FME Programs:
· Workers understand how foreign material impacts systems and equipment
· Personnel recognize activities that have the potential to generate debris
· Good questioning attitudes that drive solutions for preventing foreign material
· Foreign material that is created is either captured or contained
· Any loss of foreign material integrity is reported immediately, and a recovery plan is initiated
· Readily available proper FME tooling and controls
How To Implement Good FME Practices.
A focus on prevention is the key to a good FME Program, but if you want an entire organization to adopt these practices, you need make FME part of the site culture and have the resources to effectively carry out the program. Here are some methods you can employ to begin changing the FME culture in your organization.
· Establish a Foreign Material Exclusion (FME) Program that includes procedures and site policies
· A Single Point of Contact (SPOC) individual to own and drive FME Program performance
· Dedicated Management support
· High housekeeping standards are maintained using “Clean as You Go” philosophy
· Consult end users to determine the proper FME tooling and controls for their applications – and ensure they are made available
· Site training/awareness efforts to drive personnel FME knowledge & engagement
· Continuous reinforcement of expectations – observations to ensure personnel exhibit the proper behaviors
Every company, work group, and facility operates differently. While the principles above are proven methods for improving FME performance, building an effective program requires solutions tailored to the specific organizational culture in place.
At Alphasource, we help organizations develop customized FME solutions designed to improve operational reliability, strengthen prevention practices, and support long-term program success. Contact an Alphasource representative to learn how your facility can strengthen its approach to Foreign Material Exclusion.
